Editing Cybran Experimental Gunship

{{unitnav Experimental}}
{{unitnav Gunship}}
{{Unitbox|URA0401}}
The '''{{PAGENAME}}''', nicknamed the ''Soul Ripper'', is a [[Cybran]] unit. This is an [[experimental unit]] as well as a [[gunship]].

The ''Soul Ripper'' is one of Cybran's three (four in FA) [[Experimental]] units. It is a large, beetle-or-tick-shaped flying gunship with very high [[HP]] armed with a variety of weapons, including   
two [[Iridium Rocket Pack]]s, two [[Nanite Missile System]]s, and two [[Heavy Electron Bolter]]s.

The ''Soul Ripper'' is the sturdiest air unit around and can withstand a very large amount of punishment. It has extremely good air-to-ground DPS, making it excellent at killing ACUs, but has only average AA capabilities and is quite expensive. Despite its large size, it can rotate in the air very quickly to shoot any land units attacking it at its sides or from behind.

The ''Soul Ripper'' does not possess any outstanding weaknesses to any particular unit or weapon, as it is capable of attacking any unit that can attack it. However, it is a gunship and can subsequently be attacked by other gunships. Additionally, [[T3 air-superiority fighter]], [[SAM]]s, or any large group of [[AA]] will eventually whittle down the ''Soul Ripper'''s HP, leaving it vulnerable.

== Tactics on beating Soul Rippers ==
This unit is one of the most effective experimental units, and difficult to defeat in large groups. Only few units are truly effective in defeating them, and clever tactics are necessary in order to cost-effectively (i.e. spending less mass on your defenses than the other is spending to build Soul Rippers) beat them in large groups.

=== Reclaim the Soul Rippers ===

Soul rippers cost 40000 mass. In his wreckage is 36000 mass. That is a lot, and it can be effectively used as an economic boost. Make enough mass storage to enable quick reclaiming. A clever player will notice when his opponent is leeching on his mass by reclaiming a Soul Ripper. Try scattering anti-air around, instead of building them in neat columns to make their quantities (and thus the apparent defenses) appear lower. This might trick an opponent into sending fewer Soul Rippers than necessary to destroy the defenses, and to "donate" mass. Another reason to scatter AA about is that the Soul Ripper has to move around your base to attack and destroy the AA towers and its Area of Attack isn't as effective. This will give the AA more time to take down the Soul Ripper.

=== Units ===
[[Anti-air unit#Tech 2 | T2 Mobile AA]] are an effective countermeasure against a Soul Ripper, as they are cheap, but also mobile. When Soul Rippers attack, make the mobile AA move just outside the base, to shoot the Rippers hovering over it. Another positive side of using these units is that they can be produced without using costly T3 engineers or SCUs. T2 Mobile AA should be the weapon of choice against a surprise Soul Ripper while your economy is not up to T3 yet.

[[Interceptor]]s are extremely ineffective against Soul Rippers, and will fail to severely damage one even in numbers upwards of 125, simply feeding it veterancy. The Aeon ''Swift Wind'' must be gathered in numbers of at least 50 to shoot down a Soul Ripper without suffering heavy losses. [[T3 air-superiority fighter | Air Superiority Fighters]] are more effective, but when large groups of Soul Rippers start to show up, producing enough of these will prove difficult. They are not cost effective, and more importantly, not time-effective. The only reason to build ASFs against Soul Rippers is that they are able to start shooting while the Soul Rippers are traveling. However, a clever opponent will have anti-air bases covering the path of the Soul Ripper, meaning that the superiority fighters will be not so superior.

The weapon of choice to defeat Soul Rippers is T3 [[SAM]] anti-air turrets, which deal massive bursts of damage, and have missile tracking.

===Gunships===
Several Broadswords, Restorers, or Wailers will easily take down a Soul Ripper mass for mass.

=== Use water ===
[[Anti-air unit#Land mobile.2Ffixed anti-air units | Anti-air turrets]] can be placed on water. On maps like [[Seton's Clutch]], this enables placing anti-air "bases" on the water (use [[T2 mobile shield generator | T2 mobile shields]] or [[Seraphim T3 Mobile Shield Generator|Seraphim T3 mobile shields]] ), forcing the Soul Rippers to move around (more time before they reach your base) or take damage and destroy the forward base (and use valuable time too). Mobile groups of [[Aeon T2 Mobile AA Flak Artillery]] or [[Seraphim T2 Mobile Anti-Air Cannon|Seraphim T2 Mobile AA,]] [[Cruiser]]s and [[Carrier]]s can also do a lot of damage to a Soul Ripper, and are cheap to replace.

=== Avoiding the Soul Ripper ===
Assuming that your base is adequately protected against Soul Rippers by using about a 30 SAM launchers + shields, Soul Rippers are still an effective unit to establish map control and to defend a base. Clever tactics will defeat the Soul Ripper in this area too.

Without doubt, the units best at destroying an opponent using the Soul Ripper are those it cannot hit. The [[Tempest]] can dive long before the slow Soul Ripper arrives, and making one of these should be a top priority as Aeon on a water map, against Soul Rippers. The Atlantis can too, but cannot attack effectively. Most air units outrun the experimental gunship. Because the Soul Ripper flies so low the Aeon CZAR is able to use its Quantum Beam Generator on it and take it out with ease. If the CZAR has 10+ AA Gunships aboard and is properly managed it is able to take out multiple Soul Rippers before going down. And also, the CZAR has more AA defenses than the Soul Ripper and in pairs, can knock out a pair of Soul Rippers even when under fire from land AA.

=== As a Defensive Unit ===
The Soul Ripper is perfect for this job; its slow speed and vulnerability to ASFs (its only two flaws) are countered by being near your base, with ground AA to cover it, and the ability to land and repair at a moments notice.    
Much like the Megalith, it should never be sent on its own, but always as a support unit, either in an air raid on firebases (although this isn't very efficient due to its poor speed), or to provide covering fire for a ground force, forcing the enemy to bring in AA units. This can be used to your advantage, and effectively manipulates your opponents choice/combination of units. The Soul Ripper is extremely useful for talking out Fatboys that are kiting an assault force or shelling your base. Its high DPS, coupled with the strength to withstand bursts of ASFs and quickly retreat to be repaired, makes the Soul Ripper the most effective counter for the Fatboy

If you wish to battle experimental units, this is a good choice in defeating Galactic Colossus/Colossi.




==Tips==
1. The Soul Ripper's ground rocket packs can engage gunships, making it a decent counter against T2 gunships, however T3 gunships are more resiliant. The electron bolters can only engage ground targets.

2. The Soul Ripper is a particularly poor choice to be used to attack enemy bases, since the base will have massive amounts of T3 anti-air defenses and the soul ripper's slow speed does not allow it to destroy much before being destroyed. However, they're excellent when used in a defensive role to protect against enemy ground experimentals and forward bases.

<gallery>
Soul ripper insitu.jpg|A ''Soul Ripper''
Cybran soul ripper1--screenshot.jpg|The ''Soul Ripper'', showing the full extent of its power
T4 experimental gunship.png|Idle ''Soul Ripper''
</gallery>
[[Category:Experimental units]]
[[Category:Gunships]]
[[Category:Anti-air units]]
[[Category:Cybran units]]